3DJuegos has visited IOI’s offices in Barcelona to learn more about their work.
If you were looking forward to plot new assassinations in Hitman III and test your infiltration skills without setting off the alarms, pay attention to the new free mission from Hitman 3, Ambrose Island. As we have been able to see in the preview, Agent 47 arrives to this tropical zone to discover what is happening on the island and to confront, subtly or not, a piracy network. Thus, we will know new plots, betrayals and characters that will involve us directly in the situation of the island.
Ambrose Island promises a tropical environment in which exploration will be important.The new environment shows us a wild, tropical-inspired environment in which exploration will be important, even with ambient sounds that bring realism to the feeling of being in the middle of nature. As it could not be otherwise, we will have to move around the island using stealth and looking for some treasure along the way. The place is divided between the residential area where we find the inhabited and recreational areas, the wildest part of the island and a prison where we will have to do what we do well: infiltrate.
While this teaser doesn’t reveal too much about the plot, we did get to meet what looks like she will be the main antagonist, understanding that the island is rebelling against the order it has imposed. Thus, we will see how this rebellion is causing conflict at the political level, both internally and externally, and that is where our protagonist comes into play. On the other hand, it is worth noting that this content is free for those players who already have the full game.
With all this news on the table 3DJuegos has had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of IOI in Barcelona, where we crossed with part of the team that has given life to Hitman III and this new content expansion. How has it been working on it in times of pandemic? The main responsible of the team, Eduard López Planstold us that the pandemic caught the team working on Hitman 3, but since “at that time we were all very trained in the art of ‘doing Hitman'”, they were able to move forward without too many setbacks.
3DJuegos has had the opportunity to visit IOI’s Barcelona headquarters.“We knew each other and were able to work well from home. Obviously,” he continues, “the coronavirus also affected us on a personal level. Some of us fell ill, some of us were worried or had a hard time, but we found ways to support each other.” Against this backdrop, IOI Barcelona can today finally present the new Hitman III content.
With the mysterious Project 007 underway, we also asked about IOI Barcelona’s role in the overall studio projects. “We work on all IOI projects. Imagine IOI as a studio that is spread across different countries. One person at IOI Barcelona can develop any task within IOI,” he clarifies.
The importance of having a Triple A studio in Spain.
One of the points we felt it was important to discuss was the relationship of this headquarters with the rest of the Spanish industry. Thus, we were able to learn about the studio’s vision of its role as a large development company. The promotion of synergies between studios, the participation in associations such as Devicat, the informative conferences or the collaboration with local indie studios are some of their proposals and actions with the aim of promoting the sector.
However, when we talk about the current situation of this, Eduard is clear with his vision: “There is a lack of a big push at a national level. The Generalitat de Catalunya is actively working to attract companies in this sector, it seems to be getting more serious and it coincides with the growth we are seeing so recently. Now we need the State to do the same and help boost both Barcelona and the rest of the country, thus helping to create a statewide ecosystem of video game development”.
As far as importance is concerned, and so we asked, IOI Barcelona considers that the presence of this studio is beneficial, first, for the creation of employment, for its willingness to create ties and for the possibilities of working with large productions. It also points out the importance of generating confidence towards other foreign video game companies that are thinking of settling in Spain and in the collaboration with the educational media that train future workers in the industry.
So, with all this information, now we just have to wait for the Ambrose Island content to arrive on July 27 for all game platforms and enjoy all the essence of Hitman III in this small paradisiacal adventure.
